MARY WISNIEWSKI
Assistant Living Editor
Pepperdine dorm rooms may look like palaces according to MSN Encarta, but not every student requires a castle. Some prefer the freedoms gained from living off campus in their homes away from school.
Junior Kate Causey is one such student. She resides in the mobile home park Point Dume Club. Causey said the club is a little piece of heaven on earth.
“There are nice amenities like the pool and hot tub as well as lots of
services like Thursday night bingo and the pet psychic,” Causey said.
Besides for those extra bonuses, she said she enjoys living off campus because it feels more like real life.
“You don’t have people supervising you,” Causey said. “You have to take care of yourself.”
Causey is certainly not the only student who opts to live off of Pepperdine’s grounds.
Senior Kristin McClune lives through Las Virgenes Canyon and said living off campus gives her a sense of independence.
Junior Tiffany Johnson shares McClune’s sentiment of freedom.
“There is a sense of independence — an ability to come and go at leisure,” Johnson said.
Although living off campus usually means greater freedom, living on one’s own also means greater responsibility. Consequently, there can be several drawbacks for living off campus depending on an individual’s taste.
For McClune, the disadvantages are the commute and micro-managing one’s own place.
“It’s nice you don’t have to worry about bills on campus,” she said.
McClune also said living off campus brings up simple issues such as delegating who will clean what — this issue is often not experienced on campus because of the cleaning services provided.
Living on campus can be simpler in many ways other than just the cleaning crew.
Johnson said living on campus is safer.
“There is a sense of security that comes with living on campus,” she said. Living off campus brings worries such as paying bills — a common anxiety for those who live off campus.
Causey said there are not many negative aspects when living off campus except for expenses. Causey pays $1125 per month,
excluding food, utilities and gas bills.
Because of these additional costs, Causey said it is usually more expensive to live off campus. After all, Pepperdine sets a rate of $3,655 to live in a shared dorm room; $3,730 to live in a shared bedroom in Lovernich apartments, or $5,265 to live in a private bedroom in honors per semester. However, this excludes a meal plan. Causey said living off campus is worth the possible extra costs.
Senior Cathy Vu lives in Santa Monica and said her expenses are similar to living at Pepperdine, and she enjoys the different
surroundings the city provides. Vu does not feel concerned with her safety in her Santa Monica neighborhood because it too is safe.
“I feel more liberated without Public Safety,” Vu said. “I don’t have to worry about parking tickets.”
Like Vu, Causey does not worry for her safety either — her community is gated with security cars monitoring the
neighborhood. “There is always a Lantz Security car in my view,” Causey said.
Causey said living off campus makes it difficult to keep in touch with all of her friends.
“You aren’t really as much with your friends because you aren’t all living with each other,” she said.
However, that doesn’t mean there is nothing to do.
Causey said that living on campus could make one fear being caught by an RA for doing something, but this is not the case with living elsewhere.
“There’s more opportunity for deviance but that might be a good thing,” she said.
Sometimes living on campus is not a viable option.
The assistant director of housing Julianna Wilkes said there are 1,845 undergraduate housing spaces on campus. Consequently, not all get housing. For Fall 2006, housing placed 215 returning students on a waitlist.
For those looking to live off campus because they want to or couldn’t get it from Pepperdine, several things should be kept in mind. Causey said one crucial thing to consider is the landlord.
“Make sure the people you are renting from know what they are doing,” Causey said.
Location is another factor.
“If you don’t like driving through canyons, don’t live in one,” Causey said. “And realize that you will have to drive to school. It might be cool to live in Santa Monica, but you will be paying a lot for gas.”
Johnson solved this issue by opting to live in the Malibu Canyon Village Apartments, commonly known as the ‘Stinkies,’ and appreciates living off campus while still living so close to campus.
She advises others to question their motives for living elsewhere to realize that although proximity to campus can cost more, it is an easier commute.
“If I lived farther off campus, it would be negative because of the driving,” Johnson said. For these reasons, Johnson suggests prospective Malibu dwellers to start searching for a place ahead of time.
Regardless, for those who are willing to resist the Pepperdine palaces, are simply denied housing or want an upgrade, off campus housing is a quick fix. Providing both freedom and responsibility, it catapults students into more of a real world setting.
01-25-2007